Rachel was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, but soon after she moved to Texas. When she received her B.A. degree in psychology from the University of Texas, she had no idea she had gained a foundation that would help her to create believable characters—characters that are often described as “real people.”

Rachel is the author of more than 60 novels, many of which have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA TODAY and the New York Times. Under the names Rachel Hawthorne and Jade Parker, she writes popular contemporary, historical, and paranormal r​​​omance for teens readers. She also writes young adult paranormal novels with her son Alex, an education specialist and dog lover, under the name J. A. London.

​Under the name Lorraine Heath, she writes historical and contemporary romance for adults and historical romance for teen readers. ​